Removing the housing of a frigidaire squirrel cage blower and motor from a furnace

Use a vacuum cleaner, the small round end.

Most likely:
The blower fan, commonly called a 'squirrel cage" probably came loose and is hitting the housing. Furnace must be removed to re-align and tighten the allen screw. The motors themselves are very reliable and last years.

If you didn't cover the inlet/outlet exhaust with a screen when in storage you may have wasp nests. I forgot once and removed 4 paper nests and 2 mud dauber ones. Had to disassemble the whole furnace!

follow this steps and fix it. God bless you

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     Turn the electricity to the air conditioning unit off at the
     service disconnect box. Follow the wires from the AC unit to the
     disconnect box, usually located next to the unit. Open the disconnect
     box and, depending on the type, either pull the buss-bar or flip the
     disconnect switch.
     
     
     
     
   
   
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     Open the air handler\'s access panels with the correct size of nut driver, usually 5/16- or 1/4-inch. Save the screws.
     
     
     
     
   
   
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     Remove the control panel\'s cover, if equipped, with a nut
     driver. Some models have a flat metal cover over the electronic
     controls, and some control panels butt up to the unit\'s access cover.
     Save the screws and access cover.
     
     
     
     
   
   
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     Follow the wires from the blower motor. Two wires will go to
     a capacitor located on the blower\'s housing. The rest of the wires will
     go to the control panel.
     
     
     
     
   
   
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     Cut the wires leading into the control panel with wire cutters. Leave the cut wires connected inside of the control panel.
     
     
     
     
   
   
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     Remove the retaining bolts with either a nut driver, usually
     3/8-inch, or an adjustable wrench. The retaining bolts, found on the
     mounting brackets that the blower\'s housing slides on, keep the blower\'s
     housing locked into position. Save the bolts.
     
     
     
     
   
   
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     Slide the blower motor\'s housing out of the AC unit. The housing will slide straight out along the mounting brackets.
     
     
     
     
   
   
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     Disconnect the two wires going to the capacitor. They will pull straight off the capacitor\'s terminals.
     
     
     
     
   
   
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     Unscrew the squirrel cage\'s locking-screw with an adjustable
     wrench. The squirrel cage, the bladed wheel, connects to the blower
     motor\'s shaft inside of the housing. The locking screw holds the
     squirrel cage to the shaft.
     
     
     
     
   
   
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     Unscrew the blower motor\'s mounting screws with either a nut
     driver, usually 3/8-inch, or an adjustable wrench. These screws hold
     the motor to the housing and are found on the opposite side of the
     squirrel cage, the same side that the wires leave the motor.
     
     
     
     
   
   
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     Pull the motor from the housing. A drop of oil on the shaft
     will aid in removal. If the squirrel cage sticks to the shaft, then hold
     the shaft still with an adjustable wrench while spinning the squirrel
     cage on the shaft.
     
     
     
     
   
   
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     Slide the new blower motor into the housing. The blower motor\'s shaft will slide into the squirrel cage\'s hole.
     
     
     
     
   
   
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     Tighten the blower motor\'s mounting screws.
     
     
     
     
   
   
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     Spin the blower motor\'s shaft until the flat part of the
     shaft lines up with the squirrel cage\'s locking screw. Move the squirrel
     cage in or out until it does not touch the housing or the blower motor.
     Tighten the locking screw.
     
     
     
     
   
   
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     Connect the blower motor\'s capacitor wires, usually brown or
     brown with white stripes, to the capacitor. Direct replacement motors
     use the same color-coded wires as the original.
     
     
     
     
   
   
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     Slide the blower motor\'s housing into the AC unit along the mounting brackets. Install the mounting bracket\'s retaining bolts.
     
     
     
     
   
   
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     Connect the new blower motor\'s wires in the control panel
     one at a time. Disconnect one old wire in the control panel. Determine
     its color and connect the new wire, of the same color, to its place. Do
     this for all wires.
     
     
     
     
   
   
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     Replace the control panel\'s cover, if equipped, and the
     unit\'s access cover. Turn on the power to the unit at the disconnect box
     and test the blower motor.
     
     
     
     
   
   

Could be bearings going out, or a squirrel cage rubbing the blower housing, a squirrel cage blade that came loose, or a capacitor.

It is very possible that the blower motor squirrel cage housing has leaves in it, they get in there from the air intake for the system at the base of the windshield. Remove the blower motor from the housing and clean out the leaves. These leaves also pose a fire hazard and I've seen that a few times, the heat source is the blower motor speed dropping resistor in the air duct near the blower motor squirrel cage housing, it can ignite the leaves, this can cause at the very least smoke coming out the vents, which can be a little exiting on the freeway.

If you can hit on the blower motor housing and the motor starts, your brushes on the motor are bad and the blower motor needs to be replaced. Used tested unit $30.00 at a junkyard. New rebuild $54.00.

Many posts have stated that the dash must be removed to replace the blower motor. It can be done without removing the dash. I know as I replaced the blower motor on my kids 99 Durango last night but it took about 4 hours. Now that I know how to do it, it would estimate 2 hours.

Remove glove box by opening glove box all the way. Press inward on the both sides of the glove box to allow the rubber stops to clear the catches and lower the box The two outer hinges (plastic) will come off by slightly twisting the glove box upward leaving only the center hinge (plastic) in place. Reach in and push down on the hinge to pull out glove box. Set aside.

Remove side trim panel by pulling back carpet and remove one Phillips screw. Remove panel by pulling back on upper portion to remove clip from frame, then slide forward to remove from lower plastic trim.

Use 1/4" nut driver or socket to remove two screws holding vacuum canister on lower right side of blower shroud. Remove two vacuum hoses noting which hose goes to which side of the vacuum canister (both were green in color on my Durango). Disconnect connecting rod from vacuum canister to vent control by removing lock washer (you may be able to get away with not removing the rod, but the plastic "fin" may break if you stress it while removing the blower shroud.

Use 5/16 nut drivers/sockets with extensions to remove the blower shroud hex bolts. The hex bolts are located in several areas around the shroud (use your finger to follow shroud edges to locate all 8). Some of the hex bolts are very tricky and may require odd positioning of your body to locate and remove them.. I also put several extensions to use in order to reach the various hex bolts. Once the hex bolts are removed, pull the plastic blower shroud down exposing the blower motor squirrel cage.

Remove two of three hex nuts holding blower motor in place. Loosen the third one and the blower motor should come free. I was not able to remove the squirrel cage from the old motor so I broke the squirrel cage allowing me to expose the wire harness and grommet that went through the back of the shroud.

Feeding the wire harness back through the assembled wall appeared to be a real challenge, so I cut the green and black wires at the motor for splicing into the new motor later. Remove the motor and broken squirrel cage and throw the dam thing away.

Remove squirrel cage from new motor by removing retention clip with a pliers. Pull off the squirrel cage carefully by applying WD40 (or other lubricant) to the shaft. You may have to place two large screw drivers or other pry bars underneath the squirrel cage equally across the underside of the squirrel cage slowly prying up the cage. I accomplished this with a helper to hold the motor in place to allow equal pressure from both pry bars.

Cut green and black wires on new motor leaving enough wire to work in the tight area of the motor housing. Strip wires from old harness and new motor and apply **** splices for green to green and black to black. Add electrical tape for extra mechanical strength and insulation.

Place new motor into housing and secure the three mounting hex nuts. Turn on key and run blower to make sure it works. Install squirrel cage and retaining clip on motor shaft. Run again to make sure it works.

Install the balance of the items in the reverse order you removed them.

Good luck!

Now on to replace the rear wiper motor on the same Durango. Junkyard parts $54.00. Time: Unknown?

This is for the main blower right? if so...

You'll want to have the replacement parts around for this, usually the only thing to break is the motor, but occasionally the squirrel cage will bust up.
First unplug the unit, then proceed to disconnect everything in the path of the blower assembly. Take note of exactly which wires go where and whatnot (taking a picture is a good idea).
The assembly itself sits in a track and is held in place by 2 1/4" hex head screws. remove those then slide the entire assembly out of the unit.
Loosen, with a small Allen wrench, the little screw holding the motor shaft to the squirrel cage.
The motor is held to the assembly with a few bolts, easy to spot, they should be 7/16th hex heads.
Remove those completely, undo the ground (green wire) then drop the old motor out of the assembly. This may be very difficult (Use the weight of the motor to your advantage).
If your squirrel cage looks fine (no broken pieces) then all you need is the new motor.*
You'll need the harness from the old motor, strap that on in the same position as it was on the old motor.
Slide the new motor into the assembly and bolt it in with those 7/16th heads. then position the squirrel cage on the shaft in a way that it rotates freely and easily, as centered as it can be, then tighten the little allen head... super tight, you don't want that to come loose.
Then slide the whole assembly back into the furnace and reverse all that previous undoing.

*If the squirrel cage needs replacing, remove the old one (it'll just pull out once you've undone the motor and a few small screws) slip the new one in, and continue.

If the wires from the motor seem confusing, green is the ground (put a loop on it and screw it to the assembly), the rest go to the circuit board. White is Neutral, Red and Yellow are spares, Black goes to "Cool" and Blue goes to "Heat". I can't remember the name of those types of plugs, but they're often available at auto parts shops. You want the 1/4" size. the neutral may be the 3/16" or 1/8th size.

The first thing I would do is to clean motor and squirrel cage. It would be best if you would remove it and take it somewhere that you had a air compressor to blow out motor ports and fins on squirrel cage. Most of the time you can remove by disconnecting modular plugs and removing two or more screws on rail that squirrel cage slids on.
If you can get it out you can use a fine wire brush to loosen dirt and dust from fins on cage then use air to blow out as much as you can.
Your motor may be getting worn so check the bearing by grasping cage and see how much it will slide side to side and if it moves more then about1/8 inch then you are going to need to replace it before much longer. Also make sure that the rim of squirrel cage is not rubbing on blower housing and if it is then loosen motor mounting screws and adjust ,then retighten screws.
I hope this helps you. Thanks

The best way to really clean the squirrel cage is to remove the entire indoor blower motor housing assembly out of the furnace then remove the squirrel cage from the motor shaft and pressure wash the squirrel cage. Make sure you don't use to much water pressure as you might knock off any balancing weights that may be attached to the one or more of the vanes. Make sure the cage is completely dry before you re-install it back on the motor shaft.

You have to take blower out by removing the 2 screws that is holding it ,then you loose the motor shaft from wheel by using a Allen key .Once motor shaft is loose you then loosen motor frame from housing and slide motor out .Might have to spray it with wd 40 .
On the housing should be some screws along the side so you loosen those and house ing would open up so you can get wheel out.
To install you reverse the process.
Please note the direction of the old wheel because if install backwards will not work right